Going Green Commitments

About Us

Hartwell Capitol Consulting was founded in 2001 just prior to 9-11 to work with business and government to find solutions to pressing problems and includes Associates RADM (Ret.) James J. Carey, George Hyatt, Lynne Schneider, Carlos Davila, Beth Lavach-Sapp, Brent Thompson, Dr. Chris Lapp, Charles Sills, Maria Simpson, Jim Stanley, and Dain Roose-Snyder.

Robert van Laer Hartwell

Rob Hartwell is the President of Hartwell Capitol Consulting, a firm specializing in traditional Congressional and Administration lobbying, domestic and international business development, corporate financing, fundraising, public relations, grass roots advocacy, and all aspects of business and government relations consulting. Rob also serves as Vice Chairman of the National Defense Political Action Committee.

Rob has over 25 years of hands on Congressional, political and legislative experience, serving on Capitol Hill in 1978 and from 1983 through 1993, and for the last 14 years in key lobbying and political leadership positions. Prior to starting Capitol Consulting, Hartwell:

Served as Vice President of Government Affairs for the Public Relations and Research Firm, Berman and Company, specializing in retail hospitality industry and employment policy issues.

Was appointed Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs for Americans for Fair Taxation (AFT), one of America’s largest grass roots tax reform organizations with almost 400,000 members nationwide. At AFT, Rob chaired a Coalition of 30 major national organizations supporting tax reform called the Coalition for Fundamental Tax Reform (CFTR) and was interviewed across the nation on numerous radio shows.

Served as Vice President of Federal Government Affairs for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) in Alexandria, Virginia, where he specialized in retail and pharmaceutical issues. At NACDS, Hartwell spearheaded legislation reforming DEA enforcement laws, involved NACDS at the national political level, and increased the NACDS PAC by almost 120%.

Left Capitol Hill to take a position as Senior Lobbyist for the American Health Care Association (AHCA). AHCA is the largest organization representing long-term care providers in the U.S. at the time, having over 11,000 Members in 50 States. At AHCA, Rob successfully enacted their top Medicare reimbursement priorities, a PPS System that leveled the playing field with America’s Hospitals.

Prior to working for AHCA, Rob was the Chief of Staff to Congressman Dick Schulze, (R-PA)a senior Member of the House Committee on Ways and Means. He was also a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Mike Oxley (R-OH), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and he worked briefly for three other Members of Congress spanning a 12-year Capitol Hill Career.

Rob also gained extensive experience in the House Ways and Means and Budget Committees working on tax policy, budget, health and other economic issues, and handling media relations.

The veteran of numerous political campaigns, Rob served in 2000 and 2004 as Chairman of the George W. Bush for President campaign of Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, served on the National Finance Committee of Victory 2000, and in 1997 was Finance Chairman for the Republican Party of Virginia.

In addition to his government relations’ experience, Rob was appointed by Gov. Jim Gilmore (VA) to the Virginia Project Exile Board, and currently serves or has served on Boards including Virginia Wesleyan College (Norfolk, VA), the Gunston Hall School, the International Deed Corporation, as Chairman of the Elizabeth Hartwell Environmental Education Fund, as President of a Luxury Yacht Charter business, Executive Services LLC, and as Vice President of the Colchester Corporation. He also serves as Vice President and Treasurer of a family Limited Liability Company, Hartick, LLC.Rob is life-long resident of Fairfax County Virginia, a former Fairfax County Planning Commissioner appointed by House Leadership member, Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) and a former Fairfax County Library Board Trustee.

Testimonials

"I give my highest recommendation to my former Administrative Assistant, Rob Hartwell. Those making hiring decicisions should consider hiring an excellent and knowledgeable person such as Rob."~Former House Ways and Means Committee Member Hon. Dick Schulze

"Thank you for taking the time to come to Austin. I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about the future and to share my philosophy. Laura and I appreciate your friendship and support."~Former President George W. Bush

"Thank you for all you did to help us advance the City of Philadelphia's Legislative Agenda. Thanks again for all of the outstanding work you have done on our behalf and all that you continue to do."~Former Philadelphia Mayor W. Wilson Goode

"For the record, your behind the scenes support relative to our... issue... was nothing short of miraculous. It certainly impresses all of us who do not work daily in the political arena how critical it is to have able, influential resources working on your behalf."~James T. Egan, Senior VP for Betz Laboratories Inc.

News

I recently had the opportunity to fly to England and Germany to introduce exciting new medical and green energy technologies to strategic companies in Europe, as well as to see a couple old friends. The trip was successful and memorable and having taken a call from Lorton Patch reporter James Cullum about the Eagle Festival while travelling on the Autobahn, he asked me to pen an article on my travels.

Observations on the Transit

I flew to London on an Airbus from Dulles. Our U.S. made Boeing plane is much roomier and sturdy, and Virgin Atlantic’s Airbus was freezing. When the flight attendant, a rather large man walked by, the floor shook and creaked, and the outside temperature of minus 36 degrees was not abated by much of a heating system. Two blankets and I was still freezing and I had a jacket on too. United Lufthansa is much more comfortable.

Take the airport train from Heathrow as cabs are about $80 and any driving in the United Kingdom or Europe is now very expensive. Parking meters in London are 4 pounds (or about $8) per hour and there is a tax on cars coming into the city. In Germany, my friend and sometimes consultant Daniela Drescher pays $2500 per year for her car license… a BMW SUV; $2,000 per year for insurance; $400 for Euro pass Autobahn stickers for several countries; and her taxes are nearly $2,000 per year… not to mention gasoline is nearly three times as expensive. Conversely, the rail system and public transportation is easy and accessible.

I flew round trip from London to Dusseldorf for the same price I flew from Dulles to London via CheapTickets.com. $956 for the Atlantic trip and $930 for the London to Dusseldorf trip. I think next time Euro rail may be the way to go. In Dusseldorf my trip from the Hilton to the Rhine Waterfront was $3 dollars via tram and almost every German speaks good English so it was easy to verify directions and which stop to take. And on Friday evening, the Rhine waterfront there rivals Fort Lauderdale at Spring Break. Thousands of young people enjoying fine German been and Rhine wine, with a stretch of perhaps 250 bars and cafes running along with Rhine.

And on the Rhine, barge after barge and freight travelling I swift current fueled by the melting Alpine snow caps, running south to north. The tour boats there anchor with steel cable and the current is perhaps running at 8 knots or nearly 10 mph. I spoke to a cab driver who told me it is clean enough to swim in but usually far too cold… so perhaps I’ll find a remote spot in August on my return trip.

Finally, my round trip high speed train to Nurnberg and back was delightful and easy. From city center to city center in perhaps 3 hours at about 130 mph, with leg room, internet, bar service and few stops. Our auto based sprawl does not exist in Germany, which was based on feudal castles protecting villages, and thus highways and rail were developed from city to city and castle to castle vs. our auto based culture. And the autobahns are straight and fast highways with posted speeds exceeding 160 kilometers per hour in some locations (about 80 mph) and with some Porsches, Audi’s and Mercedes (and a few American muscle cars) exceeding 100 mph and more. Having taught Daniela to drive about 9 years ago her autobahn skills were impressive but my knuckles were white holding on to the above door handle a few times at only 220 Kilometers per hour.

The Business

While in London, I took a client via my consultant in England into meet with the world’s largest pharmacy, Alliance Boots. There we pitched an amazing technology developed at NASA to diagnose diseases including cancer, tuberculosis, diabetes and HIV via the human breath. My client owns the commercial rights to this technology used on the space shuttle and the Mars rover, and within 3 to 4 years, every pharmacist will be able to give you a 35 second breath test to tell you if you need to go see a doctor for any major disease state… and in 5 to 10 years, for allergies.

We also visited my old friend the Right Honorable Eran Bauer in Lincolnshire, who is a fellow Knights Templar and the equivalent of a Virginia State Senator. Eran owns a security business and green energy business and he lives in an estate house built in the 15th century… where amazingly, my ancestor Sir Robert Hartwell once visited. A Templar church I visited was frequented by my English ancestor and my family lineage (which Eran has on his computer) goes back to Sir Simon Hartwell knighted in the Battle of Hastings in 1066, where the Norman Conquest took hold and eventually united England under French rule.

We co-presented technologies back and forth and I believe Eran’s company will become a key distributor for an amazing Thermovoltaic heat capture generation technology I’m taking around the world. Our Department of Energy estimates this zero carbon footprint heat recycling technology could save 17% of all U.S. electricity costs one day. Go to www.BerkenEnergy.com for more details.

Next, was a 4:30 am trip to Heathrow for an 11:30 am meeting in Dusseldorf with a wealthy Dutch technology investor to discuss bringing him into our distribution and finance network. I met him at my hotel where he was visiting to play the German national field hockey team (it is a men’s’ sport in the EU) and we had a delightful business meeting and lunch.

Other meetings on Monday proved fruitful with Medical technology companies and appointments were set with Bayer AG, the pharmaceutical giant in Leverkusen (in between Dusseldorf and Cologne) for Thursday, and I was off to visit Daniela in Nurnberg for three days off in my favorite Germany city. Nurnberg (or Nuremburg in English) is famous for the Nazi criminal war crimes trials after the war. However, it is a walled city with incredible history and beauty. The Pignitz River runs through it with the city center a wide cobblestoned area with thousands of shops and the famous square and Christmas market known for its warm Gluewein in colder months. The watch was invented there… today I still wear a Swiss Tissot watch I bought there in 2004.

The Lorenz Church, restored after being destroyed in the War towers over the city square and locals and tourists bustle about the city together enjoying its magic and beauty. A day in the city, a day in the country and a day at the Palm Beach water spa in Stein, known for its heated spring water and healing powers relaxed me for the final leg back to Leverkusen and Dusseldorf and home.

Another 4:30 am trip back to meet with Bayer executives who were already working on cancer breath markers and discussions on also using our NASA “Nanobeak” technology for crop science and cardiovascular health ensued. And finally, another 4:30 am rise to travel to London and back to the U.S., where I stayed up for 36 hours straight watching three feature films on the plane back (it was not quite as cold this time) waiting to sleep in until 10 pm EST in the US where I managed to avoid any jet lag.

The Legacy?

It was a great trip, affordable, and Europeans are seeking to invest in the U.S. in a big way, uncertain of their own economic stability and having faith in our freedom and future. Most importantly, it would be my life’s greatest achievement to help eradicate TB in the third world and save millions of lives via instant and affordable diagnosis, and on this trip, I may have gotten us half way there!